


Hurt and Heart

by cinderlily



Series: Hurt and Heart [1]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-24
Updated: 2010-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-09 03:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Archuleta loves being a wedding planner, and he is good at it. Then he meets David Cook and everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hurt and Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [written for Jenna ( on LJ](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=written+for+Jenna+%28+on+LJ).



_hurt and heart   
only two letters apart  
i know its just a start  
and a start is all i got  
hurt and heart_

 

 

David Archuleta sat down at his favorite table in the back of Starbucks. Situated just at the right angle to see the front door but not quite in the line of traffic it had long since been something of a workstation away from work for him. He opened his messenger bag and grabbed the necessary papers and folder that he needed and preceded to stack them in front of him with ease honed from four years of working as a wedding planner. He checked his watch and saw that he was early, still, but not quite as early as he preferred to be which made him feel twitchy and off center.

 

Or maybe it was because the reason he wasn’t already seated and ready to do his pre-meeting checklist had been due to a collision that had sent most of the contents of his messenger bag flying. The guy who had hit him had knelt down to help him pick them all up and he had been… well. Intriguing. Messy hair, dark eyes and a wide smile that caught David totally off guard. He hadn’t been able to string together more than an awkward, “Th-thank you” before the guy had left and it kept playing on repeat in his head.

 

He had to shake off the thoughts and try and get back to what he should be doing. He waited patiently still about five minutes early. He sipped at his hot green tea and hummed happily at the taste of it. This was why he loved his job, these moments that were the best, ahead of schedule, happy and organized. It was the best type of comfortable.

 

"Mr. Archuleta?" a woman's voice broke his nirvana and he shook the cobwebs loose and smiled.

 

"Oh my, don't call me that, my name is David," he smiled. "You must be the future Mrs. Cook?"

 

The woman laughed, "Yes, but call me Amy. I love my mother in law to pieces but I am not ready to be the future Mrs. anything just yet."

 

"Amy it is," he confidently pointed to the chairs on the other side of the table. "Is your fiancé here?"

 

She looked around, "He sent me a text message to tell me he was here, but I don't see him. Just give me a second."

 

He turned to give her some privacy as she lifted her cell phone to her ear. As a means to distract himself he reached into his bag and grabbed at his day planner. They had already discussed when and where she was getting married but he liked to work out a rough out line of dates and such on the first visit. He always felt more relaxed when he could look at his schedule and see months laid out in front of him.

 

"Oh here he is," she smiled beatifically and David turned in his seat to see whom she was pointing too. His stomach lurched into his throat and he got the sudden urge to stand up and run but forced himself to swallow around it. It was him, the guy he had bumped into earlier. That was pretty much par for the course, David thought miserably.

 

Mr. Handsome... or well. Mr. Cook to be more accurate, leaned over the table before David had a chance to stand up. "We've met already. But didn't catch your name. I'm David Cook."

 

"I'm David... David Archuleta," he stumbled.

 

"Oh that is going to be annoying," Amy groaned. "Do you have a nickname?"

 

And he blinked at the question, not because it was absurd but more because he was totally off kilter. "Oh, uh..."

 

"You can just call me Cook, if that's easier," Cook smiled widely and it made something twist in David's stomach.

 

He blinked again and then bristled at the fact that Cook was being so dang helpful, "People in high school sometimes called me Archie?"

 

That was a total bold face lie, he had gotten that exactly once. On the first day of his high school when he walked in to Choir and there were three other Davids. He had tested out of that choir later that afternoon and in the next one there wasn’t another David in sight, not that he needed to tell either of them that.

 

“Awesome, Archie,” Cook smiled. “But it wouldn’t be fair of you to lose your name and have to call me mine, besides a lot of people call me Cook.”

 

Amy tilted her head at her fiancé but shrugged. “Okay, fine, though I might forget to call you that.”

 

Somehow the entire conversation had gotten totally off course. Archie closed his eyes for a split second to bring himself back and opened his eyes feeling a lot better. “Okay, so you guys are planning on getting married September 5th, right?”

 

“Right!” Amy beamed. “At the Hilton.”

 

Archie nodded and checked off the box on his list to say that they had already picked a venue. “That gives us… five months or so to get everything together.”

 

“That doesn’t sound like a lot of time,” Amy fretted.

 

He had a face that he had perfected over the years for this exact moment in every interview. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I have planned weddings in much less time.”

 

When she visibly relaxed he let himself feel a moment of triumph before moving on to the rest of the game plan. He wasn’t going to let the fact that he had a momentary crush on this groom make any thing less than a funny story to tell at parties.

 

(Though he would never, ever, ever tell it at any party and he was pretty sure it would never be funny. Especially if _Cook_ kept up with that smile.)

 

*

 

They had set the next meeting for almost a month after the first one, still too early to do most of anything and enough time for Archie to collect some ideas. He had to admit that walking into the Starbucks he had a ball in the small of his stomach that had been there since he woke up. He wanted to think of a reason to call out, had spent almost three weeks trying to figure out a way to pass it on to Hannah (the only other wedding planner in his small company) but doubted that would be a good idea. It was just a brief flick of a crush. It wasn’t worth getting over worked up over.

 

(That is at least what he had been telling himself over and over on the car ride over.)

 

He was relieved to see just Amy at the table in the corner, a cup of tea cradled in her hand and pursed lips. He walked over to her with the most confident smile he could muster, he got the feeling this was going to be the type of wedding that required constant reassurance. She half stood when she saw him and he motioned for her to sit down.

 

“What do you say we don’t just get down to business?”

 

She sighed and relaxed with a huge smile, “Sounds good.”

 

Archie hazarded a look around the Starbucks, “Should we wait for Cook to get started?”

 

“It would be a long wait,” she smiled. “He thinks I should just do the planning as according to him it’s the brides day either way.”

 

Archie resisted the urge to frown, “That is true. Is he sure he wants to give up all the planning though?”

 

“Yes!” she insisted. “Though he is pretty adamant about music selection, so we might have to wait for him for that, but I doubt that is today right?”

 

Archie shook his head and grabbed some papers from his bag. “Today is going to be more or less about the basics. Color schemes, themes, numbers. That way I can go home and start collecting a theme book to see what you want.”

 

“People have _themes_ for their weddings?” Amy gaped disbelieving. “Like what? Under the sea or Off Broadway?”

 

He stifled a very unprofessional laugh and comment about just how close to the mark she was, “Sometimes its easier to picture what you want with a… uh. Couple ideas in your mind?”

 

Amy gave him a dubious roll of her eyes. “Well I am pretty sure David would freak out if I went with the My Little Pony theme, so how about black, white, and red. “

 

Archie wrote along the edge, _black, white, red_. From across the table he heard Amy give a soft chuckle. “….What did I miss?”

 

“I told you I had considered a My Little Pony themed wedding and you didn’t even flinch?”

 

He shrugged and smiled “You wouldn’t believe some of the request I have fulfilled. My Little Pony wouldn’t even begin to weird me out.”

 

Amy shuddered. “I am not even going to ask.”

 

“Probably better if you don’t,” he assured her. He picked through his messenger bag and found the folder he needed. “This is for another wedding I am doing right now, but they have similar colors. Maybe these can give you some ideas?”

 

He handed her the book and she flipped through it with wide eyes, ooohing and ahhing whe she pointed. Archie started a mental list. He felt a little silly now at how much he had let himself work himself up in to a fury when in the end he didn’t have to worry at all.

 

*

 

Over the next few meetings he and Amy became fast friends. She was the easiest bride he had worked with in forever, open to suggestion but still firm in her vision. He appreciated not having to talk her down from any ledges, or from 23 swans following her down the aisle. She wanted small and intimate but beautiful and family friendly, all things Archie could pull off in his sleep.

 

With each meeting without her fiancé Archie became more and more sure that it had been just a passing crush that he had blown out of proportion in his head. It was a relief, to say the least. He liked Amy and he loved his job and everything about it. It was perfect.

 

*

 

Archie thought he was a pretty forgiving guy, he didn't mind people showing up a little late but this was getting ridiculous. He had shown up at the Starbucks that they had set up as their base camp twenty minutes early and was now on his third glass of tea and was still by himself. He checked his phone for a missed call or text and then fumed at the time. Amy was almost thirty minutes late, and if she did reach that he was going to just get up and leave.

 

Except. Well, she had never been that late at all, had she? Even by a minute. Something in his stomach flipped and he changed his mind. He wouldn't leave at thirty minutes. He just wished she would call or something. The tea tasted a little more bitter the next time he lifted it to his mouth and he assumed that might be more his bad thoughts coming back to haunt him then the quality of the actual tea.

 

When his clocked clicked over to the thirty-minute mark he grabbed his phone and started shifting through his contacts to find her name. He had to think about her last name, which was kind of terrible of him, but to be fair he had always just called her Amy and he knew perfectly well what she was going to be, Amy Cook, but her maiden name somehow slipped his mind. He found her _Amy Franks_, duh, and hit the send button with a weird nervousness at in his stomach.

 

It rang twice before she answered, "Hello Amy Franks, may I help you?"

 

"Amy, this is um... Archie," that nickname still didn't settle well with him but he had too much pride to back out of it now. "I was just calling to see if everything was okay, you were supposed to be here--"

 

She cut him off before he could go on, "He isn't there? Oh lord, I am going to KILL HIM. I told David the time, I sent him THREE TEXTS to remind him and oh ... he is so freaking dead."

 

And like her anger had summoning powers Archie looked up just in time to see Cook walk through the door. "Oh, uh. He's here now, so I uh... yes." He hung up just as he heard her say something that he wouldn't repeat even if his life depended on it.

 

Cook looked his usual relaxed self but came up with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm sorry I'm late," he laughed. "I lost track of time at work and well... you know how it goes."

 

He didn't, but he smiled either way. "That's okay, I just got off the phone with your fiancée..."

 

"Aw, man, you told on me?" Cook lifted his hand to his chest. "I'm in the dog house now."

 

Archie flushed, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble..."

 

Cook waved it off. "Let me make it up to you, can I get you another cup of... what is that?"

 

Without his permission Cook lifted his mug to his nose and sniffed, his nose wrinkled at the smell.

 

"It's ... green tea. You don't have to get me another one."

 

Cook shook his head, "Oh come on man, please let me. She might never forgive me if I don't get this right. Besides, I will be ten times as effective if I get some coffee in me. I missed my morning jolt and am running on fumes now."

 

Archie shrugged. "Tea, then. Green tea? No sweetener.”

 

"Sounds delicious," Cook said sarcastically, but grabbed the mug and went to the short line before Archie could properly come up with a retort. (Not that he would have been able to even with time.)

 

Archie was thankful for the extra few minutes, truth be told, because it gave him a minute to catch his bearings again. He looked down at his check sheet and went over what he had thought he would be sharing with Amy today. It wasn’t much, really, more a check in than an actual meeting but he knew how much stress a wedding can be and knew even more the comfort of knowing everything was going well.

 

By the time Cook placed his mug in front of him he had gotten back on track. Cook sat down in the chair directly next to him rather than across the table and Archie didn’t let himself lean in to get closer even if every hair on his body stood up and he REALLY REALLY wanted to.

 

_Just one meeting, get your head in the game, Archuleta,_ he chastised himself.

 

“So what is on today’s docket?” Cook smiled warmly.

 

Archie put out some pictures he had collected. “Well, I am not sure if you would rather wait for Amy to be here to decide this…”

 

“That could be awhile,” Cook shrugged. “She is going to be flying back and forth between here and Miami for some work stuff so it looks like you are stuck with me for the next few weeks.”

 

Archie’s pulse quickened. The next few weeks?

 

He had deliberately kept himself from seeing Cook in the weeks since they met. Knew that his objectivity went out the window when it came to the guy and didn’t want to be just another lovesick idiot who mooned over a straight guy. He had thought that he would be okay as long as they only had to see each other with Amy around as a buffer but without her he didn’t feel as confident.

 

“You okay?” Cook had furrowed his brows. “I promise I am not usually late, in fact I am a pretty punctual guy and I turned in a huge assignment this morning so I am free for a while.”

 

“Assignment?”

 

Cook sipped at his coffee, “Yea, I’m a journalist, I do music reviews and stuff for a few magazines.”

 

Amy had said something along those lines, when Archie thought about it. In fact that was the one thing that she had insisted Cook be a part of, choosing the music for the wedding. Archie tried to shake himself back into focus and sipped his tea to give himself a minute.

 

“Seriously, you okay?” Cook looked even more worried and Archie groaned at the stupid butterflies in his stomach.

 

“Sorry,” he finally said, probably a minute too late. His pasted on smile didn’t look like it fooled Cook but it would have to do. “Just worried about keeping your fiancée happy.”

 

Cook did relax, just a little and took a long sip of his cup. “So we are on the same team, good. Where do we start?”

 

“I was going to go with the flowers today?” Archie pointed again at the pictures.

 

Cook looked at the pictures, his finger stroking his beard in concentration. Archie let himself watch his face. If asked he would say that he was looking for his reaction but it was much more about the lines and the curves than about the facial expression.

 

He was in so much trouble.

 

After another minute or so of staring at them Cook looked up, was a little startled to meet Archie’s eyes but recovered quickly. “I got to be honest here, I am not seeing any difference between these flowers.”

 

“Really?” Archie’s eyes snapped to the pages. “These are American red roses, this one is much more crimson then red, and well… This one is called a lipstick because the bottom is lighter and the tips are deeper. Actually, if you wanted we could add a similar effect to any color, if you wanted a yellow base and a red lip for example or… pink and red? Your color scheme leaves it pretty open.”

 

He looked up to find Cook giving him a sunny smile. “You really know your business, don’t you?”

 

“Yes?” he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not, but he found himself kind of warmed by the way Cook was looking at him.

 

“What are you doing right now?”

 

Archie tilted his head, “You mean besides sitting here with you?”

 

“Hah!” Cook had a loud laugh and Archie kind of jumped in his seat. “No, I meant after this, you got a full afternoon?”

 

And no, he really didn’t, but he was pretty sure that wherever this was going wouldn’t be in line with his plan to keep the crush at bay. Despite himself though, he shook his head. “Nothing planned, why?”

 

“Wanna take me to a flower shop to show me the error of my ways? I am much more a hands on learner.”

 

No, this was really really really not going to help him keep the crush at bay. This wasn’t even a bad idea, it was a colossally bad idea. If all of his bad ideas got together and decided to melt into one HUGE bad idea it would still somehow be smaller than this one. He swallowed around the fact that his tongue suddenly felt huge in his mouth.

 

“Sure?”

 

*

 

They spent a few hours at Archie’s favorite flower shop, _Cactus Flowers_, Archie taking the time to point out each different rose possible for the wedding. By the time they were done Cook didn’t seem anymore interested in the flowers but had chosen American red rose because Archie had called it ‘classic and breath taking’. To celebrate Cook insisted he take Archie out to dinner.

 

Archie couldn’t help but laugh when they ended up at a hot dog vendor down town.

 

“What?” Cook asked in mock offense. “You have a problem with my dinner selection?”

 

Archie smiled and took a huge bite out of his hot dog. “I am just afraid you are going all out, you still have a wedding to pay for, remember?”

 

Cook laughed and led Archie along the sidewalk to a bench. “Don’t remind me, I am just starting to get the bills.”

 

“You remember I am the one sending you the bills, right?” Archie asked, almost casually staring down at the hot dog.

 

There was a pause, only a moment and then Cook answered. “Yea, can’t fault you for it though.”

 

“So…” Archie started, and for the first time all afternoon actually felt the beginnings of awkwardness settling in. “You said that you turned in a big project? What are you planning on doing with your time off?”

 

Cook took another bite of his hot dog and seemed to consider it. “I haven’t really thought about it much, I guess I will be working on the wedding most of the time.”

 

Archie laughed, “You have four months, you are on track. There isn’t THAT much for you to do.”

 

“Hmm, well then,” Cook smiled. “You free tomorrow afternoon?”

 

“Free?” Archie blinked.

 

Cook nodded. “I think I have an idea for what I want to do but it is always more fun with other people along.”

 

Archie couldn’t tell if the glint in Cook’s eye was evil or just excitement but realized quickly it didn’t really matter which it was, his answer was the same.

 

“Sure, I’m free.”

 

*

 

What he hadn’t been expecting was to be seated in the very top of a baseball stadium, the nosebleed section, surrounded by rowdy drunk guys and seated next to a grinning Cook. He had been to exactly one baseball game in the entirety of his life and that was when his best friend in high school had played for the high school’s team and they went to the regional finals. Back then it had been small and boring, and he got the feeling that this was going to be big and boring until Cook started talking.

 

There was something about the way Cook talked about things that instantly caught Archie’s interest. He obviously knew what he was talking about but he didn’t flaunt it or even make Archie feel like an idiot for not knowing anything. When Archie asked questions he got this excited smile on his face like his favorite thing on earth was just to fill him in.

 

“I haven’t been to a game in ages,” Cook said as the teams switched from the top to the bottom of the fifth. “Amy isn’t a huge fan of baseball and I don’t have many friends here yet.”

 

Archie tried not to let his chest swell at the idea of Cook considering him a friend. Instead he leaned back in his seat and stared ahead intently. A guy with cotton candy and lemonade was making his way up to him and he smiled. He lifted his hand to signal him to bring it by and asked for one of each.

 

“Make it two lemonades, just one cotton candy,” Cook said from beside him, his hand reached out with a twenty dollar bill before Archie could even fish for his wallet.

 

When the guy left Archie turned in his seat, “You know I could have caught that, you got the tickets.”

 

“Come on, it’s my treat,” Cook beamed, taking a huge piece of the cotton candy off of the stick. “Besides, you are putting up with a game you totally don’t want to be at.”

 

Archie shook his head, “I am enjoying myself.” Which wasn’t a lie, and if Cook’s slightly cocked head and huge smile were any indicator he could tell that too.

 

“Tell me something you like to do in your free time,” Cook said, munching on the purple cotton in his hands.

 

He thought about it for a while, his mind going back and forth on all the things he did during his days. It was weird to find that most of it was work related. Come to think of it, none of his hobbies could actually be classified as hobbies. “I used to like to window shop a lot.”

 

“Window shop?” Cook looked dubious.

 

Archie focused on his lemonade to keep the blush from spreading. “When I was young we didn’t have that much money. I mean, we never lacked anything but there were five kids in my family so shopping wasn’t much of an option. When I got old enough I would go to the mall and walk around and live a pretend life, you know? I would act like I had to buy myself the right outfit for a huge gala or buy a new fridge and then I would walk through the stores and figure out which would be the best and how much it would cost.”

 

He had never really told anyone about that part of his life, and it sounded much lamer when he said it out loud then it was in his head. He felt himself go crimson but when he turned he saw that Cook was smiling at him.

 

“My mom used to be obsessed with that dumb show where people would run around with a shopping cart and try to get just the right amount of food and money in their cart?”

 

“Supermarket Sweep?“

 

“Exactly!” Cook smiled. “And I loved it. I would watch and get all into it and try and guess who would win before it was announced. Sometimes when I am at the grocery store I play against myself.”

 

Archie felt like his heart had grown in his chest. It was silly and it was cheesy but the fact that Cook didn’t think he was a total dork even when he admitted his stupidest secret made his stomach feel like jelly. He smiled and offered another bit of cotton candy. Cook took it and then looked at the field.

 

Archie couldn’t look away from Cook, but was thankful that he seemed too intent on the game to notice. A moment later he heard a crack of a bat and Cook was on his feet his hands out in front of him and his voice pleading, “GOING GOING GOING… GONE!”

 

The sheer glee on Cook’s face made Archie smile just as wide and he was on his feet as well, not sure of how he got there. In one swift motion Cook swept him into a tight squeeze and lifted him off the ground. Archie took the moment to dig his head into Cook’s shoulder, his nose filled with sweat and some cologne he couldn’t place. When he put him back down Archie was too stunned to move.

 

“Did you SEE that?” Cook asked, grin splitting his face in two.

 

And Archie hadn’t seen it at all, couldn’t even have told Cook who had been on home plate or which side was on offense but he nodded wide and happily. “Yea, yea. That was amazing.”

 

*  
After that it became a little bit of a tradition between the two of them. Each meeting started at Starbucks and with innocent enough intentions, but without fail would end with a trip off to do something that had little to do with weddings and more to do with goofing off. Archie started making sure his schedule was clear on the days he had meetings with Cook and even if he knew it was wrong he wouldn’t let himself think of it long enough to change it.

 

He went along with Cook on many trips where in the past he would have just given the groom the address or a phone number. He took him to get fitted for a suit as well as the tux he was planning on wearing for the day, went with him to find the perfect shoes. He had tried to draw the line when it came to picking out the wedding bands but couldn’t quite bring himself to say no when Cook turned those eyes on him. (“Thank you so much, Archie, you know I would have found some way to screw this up.”)

 

It wasn’t that rare for him to go to food tastings, but usually he was the third wheel, not the second in command. It was weirdly intimate to find himself at the place Cook was going to be married with just he and Cook and a table that was set up as a sample sweetheart’s table. (He didn’t say that to Cook, though, sure that would just make the whole thing weirder.)

 

“This steak is amazing,” Cook grinned at Archie. Archie had thought his was a little too seasoned but he wasn’t going to say anything if Cook didn’t notice.

 

He sipped through a straw at his water. He forced himself to turn away, Cook was making noises that were just this side of pornographic and Archie refused to get distracted like _that_ when he was doing something for Cook’s **wedding**. There was a list in front of him of all the possibilities and he focused on them.

 

“Baked chicken,” he said, really just to see if he could use his voice.

 

Cook shook his head, “This is it, no question. Steak and potatoes.”

 

“You think uh…” Archie internally groaned, he should be able to say her name. “Everyone would like that?”

 

Cook laughed and shoved another piece of steak into his mouth with a grin. “Who cares what other people think, it’s my wedding day, right?”

 

He had a point. And Archie took a bite of his steak, too. It _was_ good. And it was Cook’s day just as much as it was Amy’s day and he was totally able to say her name. He was. He could prove it too.

 

“Do you think Amy would mind us picking out the cake with out her?”

 

Cook seemed to think about that for a minute, fork mid air and a tentative frown. He turned in his seat and gave Archie a smile, small and secretive and completely unfair.

 

“If I say no, does that mean we can’t still test them out for posterities sake?”

 

*

 

A few meetings later Archie received a call from Cook asking if they could switch their usual meeting time and place to a little later and at a bar that Archie hadn’t heard of before. He tried to think of a way to get out of it but Cook insisted, said he would pick him up at his house so he wouldn’t risk getting lost and Archie floundered just long enough for Cook to take it as a yes.

 

“I owe you,” he smiled when Archie tried to tell him they shouldn’t, “most people would have given up on me after having to walk me through flowers and cakes and decorations. You stuck it out. Least I can do is take you to dinner.”

 

Archie tried to shrug it off, “It’s part of my job, Cook. You don’t have to feed me for doing my job.”

 

Cook smiled as the car started and he backed out, “Well, this is part of your job as well!”

 

“Going to dinner?”

 

“Nah,” Cook laughed, “But we are going to a place I know that had killer food and an even better house band, that might be the one I want to play at the wedding. It’s a working meal, scout’s honor.”

 

At that Archie quirked a brow, “You were a boy scout?”

 

“Just a phrase,” he shrugged and took a turn that made Archie grip at the side of the window.

 

“I was a-“ Archie started and then paused to put his hands over his face. “Could you slow down just… just a little?”

 

Cook rolled his eyes but slowed down. “You were a boy scout?”

 

“Eagle scout, actually,” Archie felt the tips of his ears warm. He slipped his fingers apart to look ahead and his stomach tightened. “Are we c-close?”

 

Cook looked over at him and almost frowned but turned back in time to take a parking spot. “Here we are.”

 

The restaurant was small and a total hole in the wall but it kind of looked like salvation to Archie. He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door before Cook had the chance to move at all.

 

“I’m not that bad of a driver, you know,” Cook sounded indignant.

 

Archie sighed and stood up. “Sorry, I don’t like other people driving in general, let alone those who speed like crazy people.”

 

Cook put a hand up to his chest like Archie had shot him with an arrow. “You wound me.”

 

They sat in a booth off to the back and the waitress took one look at Cook before she said, “Nachos and a corona for you, what will your guest be having?”

 

“I’ll have a Sprite?” Archie interjected, hackles raised at the girl not even looking at him when she asked.

 

She turned on her heel and walked away, still not hazarding Archie a glance. If Cook noticed he didn’t comment about it. His eyes were trained on the stage instead, where a band was fidgeting with instruments and microphones. For the first time since Archie had met him he could see the last shreds of awkwardness melt away and be replaced with pure happiness. It was contagious and Archie found himself unable to not return the smile.

 

The music started just as the nachos were delivered. It was a little louder than Archie was used to for weddings but he had to admit it had an awesome sound and they could probably specified songs to cut down the harsh edge of it. The look on Cook’s face was sign enough that they were going to be the band for the wedding.

 

“Aren’t they awesome?” he smiled during one of the song breaks, sipping the last of his Corona and beaming at Archie.

 

Archie nodded, “They are pretty awesome. Do you think you they will be in your budget?”

 

Cook nodded, his smile turning small and almost secretive. “Yea, I think I might be able to swing that.”

 

“Well if it isn’t David freaking Cook himself,” the lead singer said, and Archie turned to look and then back to see Cook with a shy smile and … was that a blush?

 

A few people turned around to look at them and in a blink Cook switched from shy to something completely new. Archie hadn’t seen this part of him but Cook cracked a wide smile.

 

“Nothing gets passed your eagle eye,” he teased. “Or is it cause there is only fifteen other people?”

 

The lead singer lifted a finger. “Well, Mr. Bigshot writer, you think you want to grace us with some music here or has your career as a no name journalist taken the last shreds of the rock star out of you?”

 

“I’ll show you a rock star,” Cook smiled, looked over at Archie as if to seek permission and then got up to walk towards the small stage.

 

One of the guitarists lifted his guitar off of his neck and handed it to Cook who took it with a nod of gratitude. Archie searched his mind to try and remember if he knew this about Cook, that he could play music rather than just report on it. Cook tested the guitar’s chords and then tapped the microphone to make sure it worked.

 

Whether he knew it or not as soon as Cook started to play Archie lost all train of thought. His voice was … intoxicating, smooth but with a few jagged edges. The song he played was one Archie thought he might recognize from radio play but Cook had easily made it his own. The band followed his lead, even the other singer finding the perfect harmony. When it ended everybody in the bar, including the wait staff and bartender gave a loud ovation and Archie was on his feet without even realizing it.

 

“Thank you guys so much,” Cook said into the microphone, eyes firmly locked on Archie’s even as he addressed the whole crowd. He seemed to hesitate for a moment and then leaned over to the lead singer and whispered something in his ear. When he got a nod he beamed a smile. “If you guys will indulge me I am going to try out a song I am writing.”

 

A few lack luster cheers from the rest of the crowd but Archie cheered loudly over them all. He just wanted to hear him sing, didn’t matter what it was.

 

Cook strummed the guitar, thought better of it and tuned one of the chords. He looked down and seemed to take a long breath before he started. Where the last song had started strong this started with just Cook’s voice and then the slow strumming of guitar as he accompanied himself.

 

Something in Archie’s chest started to coil tightly with the lyrics. They obviously had to be about Amy, even if he didn’t use her name. It talked about how much he wanted to stay with her and how strong the feelings he had for her. The lyrics were genuinely breathtaking and sweet and yet just a little sad and Archie couldn’t help but feel his eyes start to sting with tears.

 

He didn’t clap this time when the song ended, even when the rest of the bar did. He focused on his drink and the condensation that spilled off the side of it. He inhaled and exhaled and when Cook sat down across from him he forced himself to look up at him.

 

“That was awesome, Cook,” he said, his tone not quite agreeing with the words. “You didn’t tell me you could sing.”

 

Cook shrugged, “It was definitely a pipe dream. Something I loved but didn’t love me back. I was a bartender here a few years back before I started writing. They let me sing.”

 

“You did really well,” Archie’s throat was dry and a little bit sore.

 

Cook gave him a speculative look, “You okay?”

 

Archie nodded and then frowned down at his hands. “I guess the nachos aren’t settling well in my stomach. Do you mind taking me home?”

 

Cook nodded. They didn’t say much while they paid their tab, or when they got in the car. Cook tried to start a few conversations but Archie felt nervous and a thought churned in his stomach.

 

“Are you going to sing that?” Archie asked finally, just as they parked in front of his apartment building.

 

Cook looked confused. “Sing what?”

 

“That song, the one you wrote? Are you going to sing that for Amy at your wedding?”

 

Something passed over Cook’s face that Archie couldn’t quite place. It looked angry maybe, or frustrated, or just confused. He shook his head adamantly. “No, I’m not going to sing that for her.”

 

Archie felt himself sag back against the chair and then tense all over again. He was definitely in too deep. It wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t fair and even though it broke his heart he knew what he had to do.

 

*

 

He had learned early on that blind dates were pretty much tools of the devil, so he had always avoided them. However, he knew without a doubt that he what he needed was a good hard slap of reality and the quicker the better. Hannah, his petite red headed coworker, had been trying to get him to meet her friend’s brother since the first time he had come out to her as gay. He usually resented the fact that people assumed that just because he was gay he was automatically going to love every gay man he was presented with but the more she had talked about him the more interested Archie had let himself get.

 

Ben was a paralegal, in his mid twenties and had recently decided to go back to law school to become a lawyer. He was tall, blonde haired blue eyed and if Archie hadn’t seen him with his own two eyes he would have probably written him off as too good to be true.

 

They had met at a local Chinese restaurant and he had been on time. Archie was thrown off guard by his easy going smile, and his ability to be charming without laying it on too thick. Basically he was flat out perfect.

 

“So I hear you’re a wedding planner like Hannah?” Ben asked as they ate their appetizer of pot stickers.

 

Archie blushed a bit, for some reason he always felt like a traitor to his sexual orientation when he admitted to it. “Yep. “

 

“A romantic?”

 

He chuckled. “The opposite, actually. You would be surprised at how working around people getting married will sour you for the taste of love sometimes.”

 

Ben laughed, too. “I can guess it does take some of the romance out of it all, like pulling back the Mickey head to find just some pimply teenager.”

 

“Exactly,” Archie said, and sipped at his water. “And you are going to law school?”

 

Ben rolled his eyes, “My sister is my best publicist I swear. I am looking into law school right now. It is a little bit of a double-edged sword. I am interested but it is a huge investment, you know? And I am looking towards settling down, starting a family…”

 

Archie laughed when Ben’s eyes went huge.

 

“Too much for a first date, isn’t it?”

 

Archie nodded, “I’ll forgive you though.”

 

The date went like that, easy and fun. After Chinese they took a walk along a man made lake behind the restaurant and had a conversation that jumped from topic to topic easily. Archie tried his best to just enjoy the moment but found himself unable to stay focused on the date entirely. His brain leapt to the conversations he had had with Cook, or ones he wanted to have. When they got back to their cars Ben seemed like he didn’t want the night to end so early and Archie really really wanted to **want** that too. But he wasn’t willing to lie to Ben, who seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

 

“Broken heart?” Ben asked, when Archie had done his best to let him down easy.

 

Archie didn’t know how to answer that. “What makes you think that?”

 

“I am pretty good at reading people,” Ben shrugged. “You seem like you are nursing a serious broken heart. It’s okay, I understand. But when you are feeling like you are ready to go back out there …just don’t lose my number, okay?”

 

Archie nodded dumbly and got into his car. When Ben had started his car and driven off Archie let himself lean his head against the steering wheel. He looked like he had a broken heart? He inhaled and exhaled. Maybe he was nursing one, which meant he had really let it go too far. And if he had gone too far, it was his responsibility to turn around.

 

When he got home he checked his cell phone to see that he had two missed calls from Cook and one message. He swallowed and erased the message without listening to it. It was time for him to start letting this go.

 

*

 

With three weeks left to the wedding Archie had made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t let himself get distracted by Cook again. It was just a bad choice, he knew it and he was definitely not going to let himself screw it up now that he was so close to the end of it. They hadn’t talked in four days, which was the longest they had gone without talking since the end of June and though he knew he should be proud it made Archie feel on edge. When Hannah had called him earlier to ask if he would play point on the wedding she was supposed to be at that night he had snapped at her so rudely that he said yes mostly out of guilt.

 

He made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, more for the distraction then for any hunger. He didn’t have to be at the wedding site for another three hours, so he ate his lunch on his couch watching the Cartoon Network.

 

When his phone rang he picked it up without checking to see who it was. He realized his mistake as soon as he heard the familiar voice on the other line.

 

“Hey Archie,” Cook’s voice was lower than it usually sounded on the phone. “You ignoring me?”

 

Archie closed his eyes and took a long breath. He forced himself to smile and hoped it translated over the line. “No, what makes you think that?”

 

“I haven’t heard from you in a while,” Cook still sounded dubious. “I think I just got used to it.”

 

“Yea, it’s been really busy this week,” he lied, and the few bites of his sandwich in his stomach turned to lead.

 

Cook clucked into the phone, “Come on, you can’t come up with something better than that?”

 

“It’s true!” his voice went up an octave.

 

“Sure,” Cook sighed, and Archie would swear he sounded ... tired? Or maybe annoyed? That had to be wishful thinking. “What are you doing right now?”

 

Archie’s throat tightened. “I have a wedding tonight.”

 

“Well that’s tonight, I asked about right now.”

 

He wasn’t imagining the edge in his voice now, and Archie knew what he should say. It wouldn’t matter if Cook was mad at him, it was just three more weeks and then … then Cook would be happy and married and Archie would have to go back to his real life.

 

The thought made everything hurt and he didn’t let himself think why he couldn’t bring himself to say anything other than, “Nothing. I am doing nothing right now.”

 

“Good,” Cook sounded relieved. “I’ll be there in ten.”

 

Archie hung up the phone and sat stock still, frozen in place. He looked around the room and thought desperately about how it might be easier if the place was a mess. That way he would have to run around and clean everything and it would keep him totally distracted. Everything stayed resolutely in it’s place, a weird testament to how boring his life was.

 

When he finally could bring himself to move he brought the plate he had on his lap (with three quarters of a sandwich still on it) into the kitchen. He threw the sandwich in the trash and washed the plate and was just putting it back up into his cabinet when he heard the knocking at his front door.

 

He wasn’t surprised that it was Cook, but was a little unsure why he was holding a six pack and a DVD case. Cook smiled widely, no sign of his weird tone on the phone. Archie felt his face screw up in confusion and was just forming a question when Cook pushed past him.

 

“So you said you had never seen Heroes, and that is just a travesty so I brought the first disk and figured you wouldn’t be up for beer so I brought cider,” Cook let out in one long breath, setting the six pack onto his coffee table and pulling out a DVD like Archie had already given him permission to do so.

 

Archie was still standing by his front door, hand still propping it open and it wasn’t until he let his brain catch up that he realized how stupid he must look. He swung the door, pushed it closed with a little too much force. Cook jumped slightly, but didn’t turn to look.

 

They were playing it like that? Well okay, fine.

 

He perched himself on the love seat as far as he could get from Cook. If Cook noticed though, he didn’t say anything. He grabbed a bottle of cider and fidgeted with the top. Archie opened his mouth to offer a bottle opener when Cook slipped the top under his ring finger and after a faint pop it opened. Archie gaped.

 

“My friend taught me that,” he smiled. “Best thing about wearing wed.. rings.”

 

Archie pretended not to notice the stutter or the word he knew was supposed to be there and instead picked up a bottle and handed it to him. “You think you could help me out? I don’t wear rings.”

 

“My pleasure,” Cook took the bottle and popped the cap to give back to him. Archie retreated back to his place on the love seat, maybe a little more in the center than he had started.

 

The DVD started and Archie looked at his watch one last time, still had at least two hours till he had to leave. He settled back against the cushions and couldn’t help but smile when Cook started a commentary.

 

(“See that pretty boy with the emo hair cut? Get ready. Get ready…”

 

“Bet you didn’t see THAT coming! HAH!”

 

“This is Mohinder. He is unreasonably attractive. Oh don’t worry though, his accent gets better in a few episodes.”

 

“SUPA HIRO!”

 

“Did you catch that? Huh? It’s going to be REALLY IMPORTANT!”)

 

By the time they were done with the first episode (which was an almost an hour and a half long and kind of had Archie anxious towards the end that he was going to be late to work) Cook was giddily quizzing Archie. Archie wasn’t going to admit to him that he had found the show kind of boring, because watching it with him was probably his favorite hour of television in a long time.

 

“I am going to have to give you my season one,” Cook said, not noticing that Archie still hadn’t even said whether he had liked it or not. “And then season two.”

 

Archie held a hand up to stop Cook for a second. “How many seasons are there?”

 

“It’s on season four right now. Man, you have some good stuff ahead of you,” Cook sighed. “I am pretty jealous. I would kill to see it all from the beginning without knowing what was coming.”

 

He didn’t have the heart to tell him that he wasn’t going to watch any of it without him but figured he could find out enough on Wikipedia to fake it for the next few weeks. The time stamp on their relationship reared it’s ugly head and he suddenly had to turn back to stare at the DVD menu.

 

“Thanks, Cook,” he said, proud of the lack of cracking.

 

Cook stayed silent for a little while, like he knew Archie needed time to collect himself or maybe he just knew how awkward it had just gotten. Archie tried not to think about it too hard, instead he bit the inside of his cheek and watched Peter Petrelli stare down at the ground from his brick perch and then finally jumped before the DVD menu started again.

 

“Hey,” Cook broke into the silence of the room. “Do you really have a wedding tonight?”

 

Archie’s brain snapped into sharp focus when his eyes focused on the little blinking numbers on top of his TV. “OH GOSH, yes!”

 

And he was going to be late if he couldn’t get himself moving right then. He had to change into his suit. Had to drive to the other side of town. Oh, he couldn’t be late. Hannah would KILL HIM. Halfway to his bedroom he heard Cook cough.

 

“I guess I should let you get dressed and go then,” he smiled, but there was something sad behind it.

 

“Do you want…” Archie started. He shouldn’t do this, he knew that. But when had that stopped him with Cook before? “Do you want to come with?”

 

Cook looked, for once, completely caught off guard by the question. “To the wedding?”

 

“Sure,” he tried for a light tone. “I could say you were my assistant or something.”

 

Cook still seemed unsure but the corner of his lip curved upwards, “Or maybe I am your student. Come to study with a master wedding planner.”

 

“Gosh, shut up,” Archie flushed.

 

A familiar bark of laughter and then he looked down. “I don’t think my outfit is wedding ready.”

 

“I have your suit, remember?” Archie walked into his kitchen, and sure enough on a hook by the door was the suit Cook had picked out for the various wedding events before the actual wedding. He returned and handed it to Cook, and Cook gave him a grin so genuine and warm that Archie had to turn away.

 

His face was warm, but not just from the flush of embarrassment. The warm push of tears against the back of his eyes was insistent. He didn’t turn around while he walked to his room.

 

“You can use the bathroom, if you want to change.”

 

When Archie walked out twenty minutes later to the living room, he found Cook nervously fidgeting with his tie. Archie had batted away his hands and fixed it for him.

 

“Ready?” Archie asked.

 

Cook had given him a cheeky bat of his eyelashes. “Well aren’t you my fairy godmother?”

 

Archie had rolled his eyes, grabbed his wedding folder and led him to the car.

 

*

 

They arrived at the wedding site just shy of ten minutes early. The wedding was being held at an absolutely stunning old Victorian house that was nestled on the side of a mountain. They walked into the living room to find the bride was curled up on the couch, hair done up in curlers and looking distinctly unsettled. Archie recognized the look from a hundred other brides, and he knelt down beside her with his best smile at the ready.

 

“We have two options here,” he said, leaning over to her conspiratorially.

 

The bride looked up at him with wide eyes. “Yea?”

 

“One we get you upstairs, I keep your mother away from you while you get ready and then you walk down the aisle looking amazing and marry that gorgeous guy you love.”

 

She swallowed and looked away. “What’s the other option?”

 

He slipped his hand into hers and used his other hand to move her chin back towards him. “We get in my car and make a break for it. We could be in Mexico in five hours flat.”

 

Behind him he heard Cook let out a surprised laugh and when the bride laughed as well Archie wasn’t sure if it was the joke or the fact that Cook sounded kind of ridiculous when he laughed. Either way, she relaxed and her eyes lost the shiny pre tear look.

 

“You really think you can keep my mother away from me?” she bit her lip.

 

Archie nodded. “Like my life depended on it.”

 

“Thank you so much,” she uncurled and put her hands on her knees. “I think I will go with option one then.”

 

He nodded. “Option two is still open if you need it.”

 

She nodded back at him and walked towards the stairs that led to the bridal suite.

 

“Damn, you are good,” Cook said under his breath when she was out of earshot.

 

Archie shrugged. “This is my job? Besides, every one is nervous on their wedding day.”

 

Archie caught Cook still in his periphery vision and his stomach clenched. He had, once again, forgotten that Cook was getting married. In three weeks. He wanted to ask if Cook was having cold feet. Or maybe if it was something more. But that wasn’t his place. He knew that.

 

“What’s next?” Cook asked.

 

Archie bit his lip, “Find the mother.”

 

After they found the mother, the wedding went off without a hitch. Cook was really pretty helpful, which shouldn’t shock Archie. He hadn’t thought Cook would do anything but kind of stand off to the side and watch him but Cook insisted that he had two hands open to help. They worked well together, as well, which does shock him. With all the fights they had gotten into over silly details of Cook’s wedding they somehow fell in to a groove quickly.

 

Their job was done when the couple cut the cake and Archie got his usual post job buzz. The bride insisted that they stay and have food. Archie usually said no when asked but Cook looked so happy for the offer that he relented. They sat at a table in the back and made small talk with the other people at first but when the others left the table to dance the two were left alone.

 

It was awkwardly quiet and Cook stared at his empty dessert plate like it held the secrets to the universe. Archie felt a pang of guilt, Cook probably had better things to do on his Saturday night then go to someone he didn’t know’s wedding. He hadn’t even thought about that when he asked Cook to come, and Cook didn’t even get a chance to respond. Maybe he would have said no, Archie realized.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Archie broke the silence first this time.

 

Cook turned his face up to stare at Archie. “What are _you_ thinking about?”

 

Archie didn’t hesitate to tell the truth, “That I shouldn’t have dragged you along tonight. You probably have a thousand things you would rather be doing. “

 

“That’s funny,” Cook said, and his eyes locked back on the plate in front of him. “I was just thinking that this was the best Saturday I had had in a really long time.”

 

Archie shifted back in his seat, both literally and figuratively taken aback. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say back. Cook couldn’t mean it the way he wanted to, but saying it made the possibility of it feel true for a split second. His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute while being pressed on his Adam’s apple.

 

He weighed the pros and cons of being honest but went ahead with it any way, “This has been the best Saturday for me, too.”

 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Cook asked, Archie got to his feet in one fluid motion.

 

He went to the bride to say good-bye. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and her new husband shook his hand and patted him on the back. They stepped out into the street and Archie was kind of shocked that it was dark. He opened his door and waited for Cook to put on his seatbelt before they made their way back along the highways and into the city.

 

“Where to?” Archie asked, his nerves suddenly catch up with the situation.

 

Cook seemed to consider it for a moment, “Maybe we should go back to your place.”

 

Despite himself, Archie’s heart started to beat frantically and his chest felt tight. He shouldn’t let himself think that this was going to be anything but sitting on his couch and watching more Heroes. That was all it could be, really. And he had to come to terms with that before he let his heart get broken harder.

 

As they drove up to his apartment building he slowed down, wished for a moment for time to slow down. He wanted to get a chance to enjoy the feeling of just being in the car. Memorize the way Cook hummed with the radio, how his fingers tapped the beat on the inside of his thigh. He wanted to freeze frame the moment entirely.

 

They got out of the car and turned towards his building. They didn’t make it very far when from behind them they heard someone call out, “David?”

 

Their heads turned in unison, and Archie’s heart fell from his throat and ended up in his stomach. It was Amy, who looked somewhere between worried and really pissed off.

 

_Oh no, oh no, oh no,_ Archie inwardly groaned.

 

“Amy?” Cook gawked. “You’re supposed to be in Miami until Tuesday.”

 

Amy had almost reached them when she pulled up short. “I finished early. I have been trying to get a hold of you since like two this afternoon… What are you wearing?””

 

Her voice wasn’t angry, just small and soft and Archie’s heart ached.

 

“It was all my fault, I asked him to come help me with a wedding,” he tried desperately to not sound guilty.

 

Amy worried at her lower lip. “Is that true David?”

 

Archie looked over at Cook, hoping that he could see the look on his face that meant, ‘_Tell her what she needs to hear._’ Instead Cook shook his head.

 

“I came over on my own,” he said. Archie was horrified; Amy didn’t look like that was the answer she wanted. “We were hanging out.”

 

Amy shook her head, “I called you a hundred times.”

 

Archie thought back over the day and remembered how many times Cook checked his phone. At the time he had just thought he was checking the time but suddenly everything seemed to click. He wasn’t checking the time, he was watching as she called him. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to read from that.

 

With Cook not looking like he wanted to answer, Archie backed up a little. “I guess I should uh… Let you guys talk. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to keep him so long. Goodnight.”

 

“Don’t…” Cook started but Archie held up a hand and turned around. His vision blurred with tears but he held them in until he got his door shut behind him. He let himself one good sob before he grabbed a paper towel and held it to his eyes.

 

“Great job screwing everything up,” he gritted out miserably. He grabbed the throw blanket and curled up on his couch. He didn’t turn on any light other than the light in front of the door.

 

He gave up trying not to cry and instead held a pillow up to his face and let out a few raw sobs. Some time later he fell asleep, hoping that when he woke up it would all be a dream.

He woke the next morning curled up on his side, a terrible crick in his neck from the angle and lack of pillow. His living room was entirely too bright for how miserable he was. His pant leg vibrated and he took his phone out to find he had 3 missed calls, all from Cook and one message waiting for him.

“_Hey Archie. I’m… I’m sorry about what happened last night. I wanted … I think it’s probably better if we don’t talk for a while. Amy is really mad at me right now. I think it might just be for the best._”

Archie saved the message and then tossed his phone half-heartedly at the love seat.

Cook was probably right. This was what was for the best. He got to his feet and walked into his bedroom, shucking off his suit and leaving it as a messy lump on the floor. He closed his blinds, crawled into his bed and dissolved into wallowing.

*

He spent Sunday in bed. In the past he had never allowed himself to wallow through a break up, but nothing he could think of gave him any incentive to get up. To add insult to injury it wasn’t even a break up. Break up would have required them to be together, not just part of his overactive imagination.

He didn’t sleep well that night, woke up a full three hours before he had to get up. He showered and changed, went out to his favorite café and ordered all the comfort foods he could think of. He picked half-heartedly at his oatmeal and forced the thought of Cook’s message out of his head. He wasn’t going to let this affect his work, he couldn’t.

Work seemed like a pleasant distraction to the hollow feeling in his chest.

Not even an hour in his boss called him to her office and somehow he knew walking in just what this was about. June’s lips were pursed into a thin line and she tapped a finger on her lower lip for a full three minutes before she started.

“I got a phone call from Ms. Franks,” she started carefully. “She has asked for us to switch you out for another planner. I was hoping to get your side of the story here.”

He had talked himself through this in the hallway but hearing it out loud was never the less a punch in the guts. He couldn’t look June in the eyes so he focused instead on the mug she had in front of her.

It wasn’t going to get any less painful to tell the story so he opened his mouth and let it all come tumbling out. He took out the bits that might be incriminating towards Cook, he knew where the blame rested and it was entirely on his shoulders. He had let himself get carried away, let himself get wrapped up in the way it could have been if everything was different.

When he finished he had to close his eyes, a few hot tears escaped and rolled down his face. June made a disapproving tisk.

“Oh David,” her tone wasn’t angry, which was a relief. He heard her desk chair creak and another second later she was at his side, pressing a tissue into his hand. “You really screwed the pooch on this one.”

He wiped the tears away angrily, he knew full well how bad this all was. When he opened his eyes June was kneeling at his side and pushed herself into giving him a bear hug. It was weird and awkward, June had never been the one to hug people, but it was strangely just what Archie needed. He dug his head into her shoulder with a few choked out sobs.

By the time he could pull back he had left a huge wet spot where his head had been.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” he was horrified. “I shouldn’t have…”

June stopped him with a wave of dismissal. “I am going to put Hannah on the Cook wedding.”

Archie sagged in relief. “I really am sorry, June.”

“I am also going to put her on the Gonzalez wedding this weekend,” June said, her attention on the calendar on her desk.

Archie felt his chest tighten, ”Am I fired?”

“What?” June’s eyes jerked up abruptly. “Are you crazy? You are my best planner! Of course you aren’t fired.”

“Oh thank goodness.”

June shifted through a few papers. “I am, however, going to ask you to take the vacation time you haven’t used for the last two years.”

“Okay,” Archie didn’t want to, but knew he didn’t have any right to fight her.

She handed him a piece of paper and he looked down to find a vacation request form. “I will personally call the Grants and the Cohens and tell them that you needed to take some time but will be back in plenty of time for their weddings.”

He nodded, a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Go home and get your life together, David,” June gave him a once over. “I don’t want to see you until at least the second week of September.”

*

He couldn’t bring himself to drive home, aware that as soon as he did he would be alone with his thoughts. He thought about packing a bag and flying back home to Murray. He hadn’t been home in long enough that it would be nice to see his family for a while. The problem was he knew his mom would see through any attempts at hiding his broken heart and he didn’t want to explain why he was suddenly able to fly home mid week.

He ended up at the mall, for lack of better place to go. Lack of time and a plethora of things he should have been doing had made aimless window-shopping somewhat of a low priority but at one point it had been something he enjoyed. He wandered around for hours, his brain blessedly blank.

At some point his phone started to buzz in his pocket and he shoved his hand into his pocket to blindly turn it completely off. He went into the pet store and played with a boxer puppy, seriously thinking about taking the eager puppy home with him. The thought was quickly squashed when he realized that while the next few weeks he would be able to be with her his work schedule wouldn’t allow enough time. It wasn’t fair to bring her home just to fill his needs. He scratched behind her ears and touched their noses together.

“Sorry girl,” he whispered. “But you need a better home than I can give you.”

He left before he could make a fool of himself. When he walked out to his car he was surprised to find it was dark out. He drove home and put on his pajamas before curling up on the couch to stare at the TV.

*

Time moved forward in stops and starts, until Archie lost track of what day it was. June called a few times to check in on him, Hannah sent him emails with a mixture of concern and freaking out (Archie had to admit not having to work the Gonzalez wedding was a perk he hadn’t been expecting.) He noticed that she didn’t bring up the other wedding she had taken over from him, and he was embarrassed at the idea that June had told her why he wasn’t working it.

He went to the mall a few more times, walked through during varying levels of busy. It was a nice reminder that life was moving on, somehow. He went back to the dog store a few times, half hoping and half dreading the day he would come back to find the boxer puppy had found a home. Each time he played with her a little more and each time he left his heart with her.

It came as a shock when he woke up to a frantic phone call from Hannah.

“THANK JESUS,” Hannah yelled into his ear. “David, I need your help.”

Archie, looked at the clock beside his bed and sat up sharply at the time. It was past eleven in the morning, how on earth was he still asleep?

“What’s wrong?” his voice was still laced thick with sleep. He rubbed at his face with his hand.

There was noise in the background, it sounded like someone tuning a guitar maybe? He blinked hard to try and get his brain to come back online.

“I don’t have the folder, David,” Hannah said, her voice tight and panicked. “It’s on my desk. I don’t have the _folder. _”

Archie groaned in sympathy, his mind bringing up the colorful images of the sole time he had ever forgotten the details folder for a wedding. He had thought he would be able to get through it, it wasn’t his first wedding and besides everything was pretty much the same, but that was apparently not the case. The folder had the schedule, the phone numbers for all the vendors, the final details that couldn’t be forgotten. Being without the folder wasn’t like losing the ores to your canoe; it was like forgetting _the canoe_.

He was awake, his jeans that had been on the floor slipped on but not yet buttoned and his eyes searching for his shoes before he thought to ask, “Wait, why are you calling me? Wouldn’t it be easier if you called June? She lives right by the…”

Oh. Suddenly everything snapped into focus, and he felt the bed underneath him before he realized he was sitting down. It was weird to think he had let three weeks pass without actually realizing it.

“It’s Cook’s wedding,” he said, when it was apparent that Hannah wasn’t going to be the one to do so.

He heard the music get muffled and a soft click, she must have gone somewhere quiet where she could talk to him. “I wouldn’t, I didn’t want to ask but I can’t ask June. She isn’t answering her phone. And I know… I know you worked on this wedding before me and I hoped you...”

“I have it,” Archie said, his voice calm but quiet. “I can bring it to you.”

Hannah let out a long breath. “Thank you so much, David. We are at the Hi—“

“I know. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

He zipped up his jeans, slipped on a hoodie and put on the beat up running shoes that he hadn’t used in forever. As he walked through his living room his eyes caught on the DVD case with Heroes still in it. He closed it and put it in the folder. It was oddly right, he thought, to give back the last of what remained of their … friendship.

*

Even with the entire car ride to prepare Archie felt his heart jerk as the Hilton came into his front window. It was early still, the wedding wasn’t for hours and most likely Cook was no where near the building but it was as close as he was going to get and it left Archie jittery. He thought about calling Hannah to have her come out to get the folder, or to send out someone so that he didn’t have to go in but stopped himself. He knew how busy she probably was at that moment. He stopped his car in the turn about, a valet was at his door before he even had it opened.

“Can I help you, sir?” the valet looked perplexed and Archie had the sudden realization that he probably looked… well. Completely crazy. He swallowed and smiled.

“I just have to drop this off for someone, can you keep my car here for less than five minutes?”

The valet looked a little relieved, and smiled at him. “Sure, just leave me your keys so I can move it if I have to.”

“Sure,” he tossed the keys at him, hoping to get in and out as fast as possible. As he walked in he grabbed for his phone.

He walked through the front door as he pressed the send button, automatically walking towards the room where the wedding would be held. Hannah answered on the second ring, her voice even more anxious than earlier.

“Tell me you are here.”

He swung open the door to the main hall and he caught sight of her across the dance floor. She dropped the hand that was holding the phone and practically ran at him.

“David, you have to help me,” her eyes were wild. “Everything is going wrong.”

Archie held up his hand with the folder. “It’s all here. Don’t worry.”

“That is the least of the problems,” she sighed. “_Everything_ is going wrong, David. Everything.”

He swallowed around the sudden dryness of his mouth.

_ Walk away, walk away,_ his brain pleaded.

“What… uh. What is wrong?”

Hannah went still, her front teeth caught on her lower lip. “I shouldn’t unload any of this on you. This isn’t fair.”

His fists clenched at his side and he choked back the urge to grab her by the shirt and beg her to just TELL HIM. Instead he gave a brief jerk of his head up and down.

“Yea, you probably shouldn’t,” he agreed. “The folder should be up to date, unless things have changed since… well. Since. In the folder is a DVD case, could give that to Co... to the groom?”

Her face screwed up into something that could be anger but also could just be apprehension. She fidgeted with the folder, opened it and held the case in her hand.

“I can’t,” she said, her eyes focused on the case rather than on Archie.

He felt himself bristle slightly, it couldn’t be that hard to just hand it off to him, could it? She held her hand out to him and he stepped back with his hands up, not willing to touch it again. “Just. Give it to his mother, or one of his brothers, or to his w-wife. _Please?_”

“David,” Hannah said and firmly shoved the DVD at him. “I can’t. There isn’t going to be a groom. Or a wife. Or a _wedding_. It was called off.”

The room felt suddenly much smaller, and tilted for a moment. His brain shut down. _Called off_? _Called off_?

“David?” Hannah snapped her fingers in front of his face, forcing him back to reality. Her lips were pursed and her face tight. She put the DVD in his hands. “I have to call every single one of these vendors to cancel. You are going to have to figure a way to get this back to him. “

If he were tracking better he would probably have said something, offered to help her or snapped at her, but instead he curled his fingers around the case, gave a tight nod and turned to walk away. Somewhere in the back of his mind the words _called off_ were on a loop.

His hands itched to pick up his phone. He had deleted Cook’s number in a fit of ambition weeks before but he still had it memorized. What would he say, though, if he called him? Cook probably needed a friend right now. He couldn’t imagine the people around him were pleased with him. Well, if he was the one who called it off. But if it had been Amy, he would probably need someone to listen to him even more.

_Why would he want to talk to you?_ his mind taunted.

Of all the people in the world, Archie was sure he ranked pretty low on the list of who Cook wanted to talk to right now. Before him Cook had been happy, had had a fiancé who loved him and a life that was on course to be perfect. Until Archie came in and totally screwed everything over.

The wedding was canceled though. That had to mean something, it just had to.

As he walked out of the front door he was startled to find his car wasn’t where he had left it. For a split second he forgot he had left the keys with the valet, his stomach tightening at the thought that maybe his car had been stolen. The valet that had taken his keys came running up.

“Hey, sorry man, you took too long,” he shrugged. “I can go get it for you, though.”

Archie nodded, “Yes, please.”

The valet leaned over and grabbed his keys out of the box before running off towards where he had just came from.

“You are too nice.”

Archie froze in place. He let his eyes close and sent a silent prayer that he was just imagining it. He could deal with being crazy, he didn’t think he could deal with… well. The other option.

“You ignoring me again Archie?”

He turned around with a glare. “I wasn’t ignoring you!”

Archie blinked. Cook looked… well. Horrible. His hair was matted down and his skin was pale. Archie wanted to kiss him or hit him, he wasn’t entirely sure which he wanted to do more.

Cook frowned a little and stared down at his feet. “I wouldn’t blame you.”

“What does that mean?”

Cook looked up at him. “If you didn’t want to talk to me, I wouldn’t blame you. I was kind of a jack ass.”

“You told me it would be better if we didn’t talk,” he stated dumbly.

Cook gave a sardonic smile, “Yea, that worked really well for me, don’t you think?”

Behind him he heard his car horn honk. He turned to find the valet roll up beside him. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was relief or regret that filled up his stomach but it wouldn’t change what he had to do. He turned back around with determination.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice tight. “For everything. If I could take it all back I would. But I c-can’t and I’m… I’m sorry.”

Cook was staring at him with his mouth open and eyebrows pinched together. Archie shoved his hand forward and Cook’s eyes flicked to the DVD case and then back up at him.

“Could you j-just take it?” he hated the quiver in his voice, as if this wasn’t already embarrassing. “_Please?_” To his relief Cook reached out and grabbed the case, fingers hitting Archie’s in the process. Having done what he needed to do, he turned around and practically ran to his car. His hand reached the door handle just in time for his vision to blur from unshed tears.

“Archie, wait!” Cook called out and for the second time that morning Archie sent up a silent prayer, this time for strength. He looked up to see Cook crossing in front of his car. “Where do you think you are going?“

Archie’s throat was tight and his face was hot, he opened his mouth to say something and a few tears spilled out. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his sweater. He was frustrated and embarrassed and annoyed. He couldn’t even think of a way to just ask him to leave him alone and let him be. Couldn’t Cook see this was really hard for him? That it was _hurting_ him?

“Home, I’m going home,” he said finally, his hand opening his door and swinging it open in front of him, forming a barrier between them.

Cook seemed to consider something and then turned around and walked back in front of the car. When he reached the passenger door he opened it and got in without even looking at Archie. Stunned Archie got in the front seat and turned towards him.

He waited for Cook to turn to him, but he stayed resolutely staring out the front window. “What are you doing?”

“If you are leaving, I am going with,” Cook said, eyes still trained foreword, jaw set.

“Can’t you just let me go?” Archie begged, leaning his head back on the headrest.

There was a long pause, almost making Archie think he might have won the fight. (Although it didn’t feel like much of a win.) Finally though, Cook spoke. “If that’s what you want, I will. But we have to talk this out first.”

“What do we have to talk about?” Archie realized he was being difficult but was pretty sure that talking it out with Cook was just going to hurt more. When he turned his head back to catch a glance he saw Cook leveling him with a glare. He sighed and conceded defeat. “Okay, okay. Talk.”

Cook looked back out the window and then at Archie. “Can we go somewhere that isn’t here? My family is going to be coming back soon and I have enough to explain to them.”

Archie hadn’t even thought about that, but he had a point. Not only would it be awkward for Cook, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be here if Amy came by. He fidgeted with his seatbelt before starting the car. As they reached the street he bit his lip.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere that isn’t here.”

His apartment was out of the question, he didn’t want the temptation and he also didn’t want anyone to see how horribly messy he had let it get in the last few weeks. The Starbucks they used to go to was probably not a great idea either, Archie used it for work a lot and the baristas knew him. Cook’s place? He couldn’t remember if Cook and Amy lived together, plus it had the same downsides of his apartment.

They ended up in the mall parking lot a little while later, it was close and it was public but had the bonus of being busy on Saturdays. He could take advantage of the public space to keep the yelling to a minimum while not having to worry about people taking much notice of them.

Cook followed him in and he found them a table in the food court. In the car Archie had forced himself to focus on driving, on getting there, with that gone the uncomfortable knot in his stomach was back.

“Why did you apologize?”

Archie blinked. “I ruined your life.”

“WHAT?” Cook barked, and the teens from a few tables over turned to stare.

_So much for not attracting attention._

“You had a fiancé,” Archie said, barely above a whisper. “You were happy. I came in and messed everything up.”

The corners of Cook’s lips curved downwards. “You can’t really believe that.”

Archie couldn’t look Cook in the face anymore, instead choosing to stare at a empty cup on the floor. “It’s true, Cook. Think about it, where were you six months ago?”

“Miserable,” Cook said, causing Archie’s eyes to snap forward. “I was miserable six months ago.”

Archie shook his head. “You don’t mean that… You weren’t… “

“And the worst part?” Cook went on like he hadn’t heard him. “I was trying so hard to convince myself that I wasn’t miserable that I let myself believe I was doing the right thing. I mean, Amy. I loved Amy, I _love_ Amy but I stumbled into our relationship, backed into our engagement and I was just…”

He seemed to lose track of his thoughts and shifted. Archie fought the urge to slip his hand across the table and into one of Cook’s upturned palms, but was sure that wasn’t what Cook needed. “I was just skating by. And I was miserable.”

Archie wasn’t sure what he could say to that. He remembered the first time they met, the warm smile that seemed to just fit on Cook’s face. The way his eyes kept going back to Cook’s. At the time he had thought he looked happy, thought that he looked like any number of grooms, relaxed and happy. But maybe he had read it wrong. In the months of their friendship Cook had gotten much less tentative, which Archie had chocked up to him being shy. Maybe…maybe he had read that wrong as well. Maybe instead of shy he was relaxing.

“I was the one who messed everything up, Archie,” Cook said, his voice soft but with an undertone of sadness that made Archie’s chest tighten. “And I am sorry. Not only that I hurt you but that I let you believe it was anything you had done. But even with all that, even with everything…”

Archie could feel his heart beating against his chest. “What?”

“I wouldn’t take any of it back.”

He let go of the breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I liked you the minute you bumped into me.”

“Hey,” Cook gave a small smile. “If I remember correctly you were the one who ran into me.”

“You helped me pick up my papers and you smiled at me and I…” Archie felt himself smile at the memory. “I wanted to see you again… but then I did see you again and it was all wrong. I should have just backed out that first day but I couldn’t do it.”

Cook’s hand landed on top of his and squeezed. “I am really glad you didn’t.”

If it wasn’t for how nice the contact felt Archie might have laughed at the ridiculousness of that. Instead he turned his palm over and spread his fingers wide, Cook lacing their fingers together.

“And then I thought I was in the clear when Amy was the only one to come to the second meeting and the meeting after that. I thought maybe once I got close enough with Amy I would... Stop feeling it. “

Cook squeezed his fingers again. “I thought that maybe not going would give me a chance to stop feeling it too.”

“Then you showed up and I was done for,” Archie admitted, feeling the familiar guilt start up again. “I saw you again and I realized I was doomed.”

Cook softly chuckled. “I didn’t realize I was doomed for weeks. I thought that maybe I just wanted to be friends, then one day I picked up my phone and you hadn’t called and all at once I realized I hadn’t talked to Amy in three days and yet felt worse at not talking to you for _one_.”

Suddenly the fact that they were in public didn’t feel like a good thing. He wanted to lean over and kiss the frown that had abruptly taken over Cook’s face.

“And that night I called Amy and told her that I wasn’t sure what we were doing anymore.”

Archie felt his jaw drop. “You told Amy?”

“She is one of my best friends, Archie,” he licked his lips nervously. “Who else was I going to talk to about this?”

“Umm… anyone?”

Cook laughed again. “Well, where were you a month ago?”

“Is that why she knew to come to my apartment?” That had kind of bothered him over the last few weeks, when he had let himself think about it at all.

He nodded, “She flew back to talk it out. That night we talked about it and … I don’t know. I realized that I wasn’t being fair to either of you. Amy and I have known each other since forever. I didn’t want to throw that away if I was just having cold feet. I had to try.”

Even if he knew that it hadn’t worked out that way, the idea made him retract his hand from Cook’s. The idea that Cook had stopped seeing him to try and make his relationship with his fiancée work made every single shred of sense. His heart however wasn’t entirely something that worked off logic. Cook didn’t try and take his hand back.

“What changed?” Archie asked, finally, his voice quiet.

“**I** did,” Cook answered. “I woke up this morning and I realized that I was making this huge mistake. I had spent three weeks trying to start my life with her and all I wanted was to see you. And it wasn’t fair for me to start a life with _her_ when I wanted to start a life with _you_.”

Archie looked up at him through his lashes, “You want that?”

“Yea, Archie, I want that..,” he took Archie’s hand back. “What about you?”

He could only manage a nod of his head.

Cook let out a shaky breath, “Well that’s good to hear.”

Archie fidgeted, “Do you want to get out of here?”

“Yes.”

*

The car ride was far less tense than but just as quiet as the one had been on the way over. Cook hadn’t let Archie’s hand down from the time they left the table. It wasn’t much, barely any contact but it left Archie feeling charged and giddy. When they had split to move to opposite sides of the car Archie had thought that the contact was broken completely but as soon as both of their seatbelts were locked and the car in drive Cook automatically put his hand on top of back into Archie’s.

“Is your car at the hotel?” Archie ventured.

Cook seemed to tense at the question, his hand tightened on Archie’s. “Yea, it is.”

There was something there, something just under the surface but Archie could see the giant red flag that was in front of it. He tried his best to just relax. The car was oddly silent, something that he wasn’t used to, but he preferred the feel of Cook’s warm fingers wrapped in his then any music on his radio. Out of habit and the fact that the silence was tilting over to be more awkward than comfortable Archie started to hum the first song that came to mind. He couldn’t quite place the lyrics but the tune was comforting and sweet.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Cook staring at him. He turned a little, eyes still mainly focused on the road and blushed. “…What?”

“You’re humming my song,” Cook sounded genuinely surprised.

Archie blushed furiously. “I just… _Sorry_, it’s been in my head.”

“That’s okay,” Cook almost chuckled. “It’s kind of perfect for you to sing it… because I wrote it for you.”

Archie’s concentration broke, his hands instantly going sweaty and making gripping the steering wheel difficult. For a moment he thinks he should pull off the road or maybe turn to Cook and ask him if he was joking but if nothing else after the day he had he learned that nothing was out of the realm of possibility. He brought his hands back up to the 10 and 2 position.

“That’s why you didn’t want to play it … today…. Isn’t it?”

Cook leaned his head back on the headrest and half laughed half sighed, “Probably would have been in pretty poor taste. Singing a song about you.”

“Probably not,” Archie agreed. “You could… sing it to me?”

They were just pulling up to the valet circle again and by the look on Cook’s Archie wondered if maybe he had asked too much. There was a small crowd in the lobby and Cook had his eyes trained on them.

“Can I meet you at your place?” Cook looked nervously at Archie. “In maybe an hour?”

Archie felt his brows furrow. “Is everything okay?”

"There is something I need to do," Cook said, his jaw set and lips in a line.

Archie stared intently at the group of people that Cook was so focused on. It didn't take a second look to recognize parts of them were somehow related to Cook. His eyes and even smile were mirrored on more than a few people's faces. With a sudden wash of understanding and a little guilt he realized what Cook was planning on doing. Archie inhaled, "Want me to come in with you?"

"This is something I should do alone." Cook looked determined as he set his jaw. He turned to face Archie. “But I will be there in an hour, I promise.”

Archie nodded and gave a squeeze to his hand for good measure. Cook took a long deep breath and then let go of where their fingers were locked to take off his seatbelt.

After he got out of the car he took a few steps forward before turning back to the car to give a sad little smile. “Wish me luck?”

“Luck,” Archie offered, hoping his smile came off as genuine and not full of whatever emotion that was making his stomach tense.

And Archie knew that it would probably be for the best for him to just drive home. Assumed what was best for them both was to let Cook have this time with his family and then start this… whatever that they had together. But he also saw the tight line of Cooks back, the way he walked towards the group as if they were an angry mob and not people he knew and loved.

He waited until he couldn’t see Cook any longer as he was totally enveloped by the crowd. He inched his car forward a bit and caught sight of the same valet from earlier who gave him a less than friendly smile.

“Can I help you?”

Archie got out and handed him the keys and a bill from his wallet. “I don’t know how long I will be here, but you need to keep this close, okay?”

He looked down at the twenty and then gave a huge smile. “Whatever you say.”

Not sure if he should walk in or stay outside he paced awkwardly in front of the door. He could just barely make out the tips of Cook’s spiked out hair at the front of the crowd of people. His heart had been beating so hard against his chest almost since he had woken up that morning but suddenly he felt it slow down.

When it became evident that it was going to be a while, and having had to move out of people’s way more than once Archie sat down on a bench against the wall. Knowing that Cook had felt even a fraction of what Archie had was a surprising relief. After weeks of going over and over every moment it was a release to know that it had in fact **happened**.

His head was full of what could have been and what was and he was pretty sure it was going to take a while before everything caught up. For the moment though, he felt cautiously happy.

This was confirmed a few moments later when the front door swung open and Cook walked out. He looked tired, just as he had before, but the lines relaxed when he saw Archie. Archie stood up and walked as close to him as he would let himself, sure there were too many prying eyes to do anything more.

“I thought I told you to go home,” Cook said, the small smile taking any bite out of the words.

“You okay?” he asked dumbly, hands shoved deep in his jean pockets to keep from reaching out.

Cook looked over his shoulder, where a few people were looking out the glass directly at them. “I think I might miss a few Christmas gifts this year, but I guess over all I am pretty much in the clear.”

“That’s good.”

Cook nodded, “So what do you say to leaving my car here and just making a break for it?”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Archie smiled.

*

By the time they get back to Archie’s whatever adrenaline either had been riding was tapering off. Cook still had the disc that Archie had given to him and offered to put it in and get started catching him up. Archie didn’t see himself realistically staying up for any of it but nodded and sat down right next to Cook on the couch.

They barely made it to the credits before Archie felt his eyes start to droop close and he tucked his feet underneath him and leaned. Inch by inch he went from upright to laying his head on Cook’s lap. Cook kept up a running commentary of what was going on onscreen and Archie focused on the rise and fall of his voice. When his eyes shut completely he lost track of their meaning but instead enjoyed the sounds and the vibration of it.

When he woke up the room was dead silent, the light had shifted against the wall and Cook had his head back with his eyes closed. The position he had been in gave him a weird ache in his neck and he stretched out and let it pop. Cook’s face was relaxed, his lips almost smiling and Archie resisted the urge to pinch himself to see if it was real.

He poked Cook’s stomach gently causing him to startle awake.

“What happened?” he slurred and then when his eyes focused he gave a thousand watt smile. “Hey.”

Archie smiled back, “Hey.”

“How long have I been out?”

Archie shrugged. He looked at the clock and blinked at the time. “Looks like we were both out for a while. I haven’t really been sleeping well.”

“Me either,” Cook admitted, rubbing his face with one of his hands.

Tentatively Archie put his hand on Cook’s chest, and before he could let himself over think it he pushed forward and pressed their lips together. It was sweet, soft and chaste but with a lingering promise underneath it and Archie pulled back before it went much further. He stood up and offered his hand to Cook.

“Maybe,” he said, his face flushing red but his hands and voice steady, “We should go to bed.”

Cook took his hand with a smile. “Maybe we should.”

A/N:: Again, I just want to thank for her betaing, her encouragement, her notes and her general awesomeness. ♥ ♥


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